The goal of the Elementary Education Program at Robert Morris University is to prepare future teachers with the necessary background, understanding and skills to provide a rich learning environment for their students. It is important to develop a meaningful educational philosophy and know how children learn in order to implement successful teaching practices and sound pedagogy. Elementary Education students at RMU are provided with an effective blend of content, technology, learning theory, methodology, and practical field experiences. Currently all of the professors teaching in the Department of Elementary Education are former classroom teachers, thus bringing years of practical experience and teaching skills into the program.
It is our belief that a quality teacher preparation program must focus explicitly and directly on the everyday classroom setting and the teaching and learning that happens there. Only by teaching can you become an effective teacher. The RMU program is designed to put theory into practice through meaningful and rich classroom field experiences. Early in the program, our teacher candidates will find themselves out in the schools, observing, interacting with and teaching children. Robert Morris University has formed excellent working relationships with local school districts and has established Professional Development Schools to allow our students access to all of the necessary practical classroom experiences. In addition, our program is dedicated to prepare our future teachers in the most recent state-of-the-art theories, practices and innovations.
Our prospective teachers gain knowledge and skills through open-ended opportunities to interact, manipulate and implement the learning process from specially selected materials, modern technologies, and hands-on constructivist activities. It is our goal to continue to produce classroom teachers who are knowledgeable, who are skilled in teaching techniques, and who have a true understanding and appreciation of how children learn!